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This morning there has been comment about people being cancelled and sneering responses that it doesn't happen and there is no pressure.
Some of this comment has come from senior professionals who advocate free expression in other areas and say there is no impact.
Some of this comment has come from senior professionals who advocate free expression in other areas and say there is no impact.
There is a cultural/societal impact when someone with an existing profile comments & you see a pile on, abuse, threats, insults. Someone with a profile may write about that. Someone without a profile but a relevant experience or expertise may not because they don't want the abuse
So there is a cultural impact from the abuse which creates an atmosphere where views are not presented.
There is the use of language in relation to complaints too. The language of safety within the workplace carries connotations as to behaviour that examination of workplace conduct does not match.
The wide framing of policies in institutions and workplaces (and potentially in the policy underpinning legislation) also impacts on discourse.
When a policy is framed wholly based on subjective understanding of an individual or group the parameters of what is and os not acceptable are unclear.
And that has an impact on discourse.
When you end up having to seek guidance from your employer as to whether or not you can respond to a public consultation on law reform, because even stating the current law appears to violate the policy that is a problem.
When you end up having to seek guidance from your employer as to whether or not you can respond to a public consultation on law reform, because even stating the current law appears to violate the policy that is a problem.
The end result in that situation in certain contexts is that views do not get expressed in the very act of policy formulation because of the lack of clarity in institutional policies and discomfort in giving the go ahead to comment (and I have experienced this)
And there is an impact on discourse.
When an academic journal can accept a piece after refereeing, and backroom staff in the publisher report the piece to employers of the authors and try to stop the piece being published that is a problem.
When an academic journal can accept a piece after refereeing, and backroom staff in the publisher report the piece to employers of the authors and try to stop the piece being published that is a problem.
And that is indicative of a culture in some spheres which includes some attempt to suppress discourse.
And there are plenty of examples.
And there are plenty of examples.
